“One aspect of the event that truly resonated with me was the "no-flight" rule. Some of you might feel conflicted; especially if flying has become routine in your bikepacking adventures. We exist in a bikepacking bubble, heavily influenced by bike industry, social media and platforms like bikepacking.com, where stories of globe-trotting expeditions are overrepresented. This creates a skewed perception: the more we see content from distant, exotic locations, the more we begin to view regular flying as the norm in our community. Deep down, we know it’s not the right choice. Burning vast amounts of CO₂ just to ride a bike for a few days - and then flying back - doesn’t align with the values we claim to uphold, especially when it comes to protecting the nature we love. We can and should take responsibility for the environmental impact of our adventures. It might be time to rethink how we travel for leisure; planes simply aren’t sustainable.
I was particularly inspired by the riders who made their way to the start line from across Europe, using only trains and bikes. One came all the way from Bristol, UK, and another from Lithuania. These stories deserve more recognition. They prove that this is something we can all do. As you plan your next adventure, remember: you don’t need to fly halfway around the world to find something exciting and new. Make the journey itself part of the adventure. Give yourself extra time, swap planes for trains, or look for local events and rediscover the beauty of your own region. Go explore, see more - but do it sustainably."